Keeping up with the latest research in science is getting easier - wonderful science blogs and news services can inform and engage both you and your students. Depending on the blog or service, you can have the content delivered to your inbox or show up on your browser homepage. Look for the RSS symbol on […]

Recently, a reader asked for ideas on teaching about solar-powered lights. She wrote:

I would like to find an activity that utilizes the solar panels from garden solar lights. I know that I could probably find many broken solar lights and was wondering if anyone has any ideas? Electricity and solar panels are not my […]

Integrating examples from the wide, wide, world of sports into physics or chemistry lessons will really spark students’ interest. These resources take an in-depth look at how chemistry and technology have had a huge impact on all kinds of sports – from golf to paintball and in addition, follow the theme of this year’s National […]

What is the
Largest machine
Fastest racetrack
Coldest place
Emptiest space
Hottest spot
on earth?
It’s the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that is scheduled to be “turned on” September 10, 2008. The LHC is a gigantic scientific instrument near Geneva, Switzerland that is 100m underground. It is a particle accelerator where two beams of subatomic particles called hadrons will travel in opposite […]

Middle school students struggle with differentiating between science and technology. “Engineers, architects, and others who engage in design and technology use scientific knowledge to solve practical problems. [Emphasis added] They also usually have to take human values and limitations into account.” This quote comes from Benchmarks Online, a publication of the American Association for the […]

Summer brings us many pleasures: a long break from school, vacations, lots of sunshine, and the occasional rainbow, all against a background of electromagnetic radiation! Despite the negative connotation “radiation” sometimes carries, it’s often more useful to us than harmful. Here are a few resources to enlighten you and your students.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Students will enjoy […]

Even though your students use electricity every day and would not want to be without it for a single day, they probably haven’t yet given much thought to its importance as an energy source. According to the National Standards for Science Education, middle schoolers should be building on their K-4 experiences with electricity and becoming […]

Summer’s here and that means it’s time to head for that clear, cool, and refreshing pool! Did you know that children swallow at least 37 mL of pool water each day they swim for 45 minutes or more? Do you know how many microbes can fit into just 1 mL of water? A lot!
Here are […]

Running on empty? Not yet, but national energy decisions may be a bigger issue in our students’ lifetimes. A number of groups have created appealing web sites to teach young people about sources of energy as well as the environmental and economic pros and cons of relying on them.
Explore More: The Future of Energy
The […]